The Art of War
by Contempt
Summary: During the summer of fourth year, Harry finds a particular aged book. Opening it, he discovers the ancient way of war, and with it, he will learn to win the coming war on his own terms...
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter, and this translation of the Art of War is the property of Ralph D. Sawyer. Enjoy my work...

**The Art of War**

_**Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death., the Tao to survival or extinction. It must be throughly pondered and analyzed...**_

_**Sun Tzu, The Art of War**_

**_Prologue_**

The mid-day sun rose high over Surrey, as the sweltering heat forced the inhabitants of the houses stretched out below to seek shelter from the suns rays. Men sweating like pigs, trying to ignore the humidity while their wifes fanned themselves to keep cool. Children went to the beach with families, and the local pools were full of youngsters playing the cooling water. All, except one.

At number 4 Privet Drive, a young boy of skinny stature sat underneath a tree, ignorant of the heat, and the area around him. This boy had sat in the same spot day in, and day out for almost the entire first two weeks of the summer. No visits to friends houses, no pools, no attempts to escape the heat.

A passerby, if there were any that happened to walk outside through Privet Drive, would have said that the boy was simply lonely. And in that, they were correct. This boy was lonely. He longed to meet his friends, to talk to his godfather, anything to escape the guilt that plagued him. This boy wasn't a simple lonely boy. He, was a wizard. A right good one at that. The lads name...

"Harry Potter!" rang out the shrill voice of Harry's aunt, Petunia. "Get in side! Now!" she screamed. Jolted from his thoughts, none of which had anything to do with the heat, Harry got up stiffly before walking sullenly back into the house. As he walked into the house, an utterly normal and boring house, he mused on what could his Aunt have wanted now. He had already done his required chores.

Passing the threshold, he looked up to see his Aunt's thin face and horse-like neck. "_Freak_," she began harshly, only using his real name to call him inside for fear of what the neighbors might think, "you have sat outside under that damn tree for almost the entire summer. The neighbors," she said tensely, "are beginning to ask questions. Now, we both knew questions aren't good, don't we?" she said pointedly, looking at Harry expectantly. 

Sighing, Harry bowed his head, "Yes Aunt Petunia." Glad with the docile response, Petunia began walking away from Harry, but not before turning back and giving him a scathing look. "Freak, I don't want you to sit outside under that tree anymore. Go to the library, the park, anywhere else other than here after you've finished your chores," Petunia said, the disdain visible upon her horse-like face.

"Your...condition shouldn't pollute our utterly normal house anymore. What would the neighbors think?" She sneered a final time, before disappearing into the Kitchen. Her head poked out of the doorway one last time, just as Harry was turning to the door. "And don't come back until 8 o'clock! Or no dinner for you boy!"

Sighing again, Harry walked from the house in the direction of the local library, only a 10 minute walk from the house. Exiting the premises of the neighborhood, he mused silently on what had happened the last year at Hogwarts. Sighing in despair, he listened to the sound of his footsteps echoing off the empty sidewalk.

Pausing to look up at the sky, he continued to hear the soft sound of footsteps. _Dumbledore's watchers_, Harry gathered. He had first noticed the invisible watchers after he noticed bent grass next to him at his position underneath the tree, and when he had gone out at Aunt Petunia's request for groceries because she was too hot to walk herself.

Shaking his head at Dumbledore's insistence of his protection after the return of Voldemort. At the thought of Voldemort Harry's hand clenched painfully, and his fingernails dug into the palm of his skin.

_That bastard_, Harry thought hatefully, _that utter bastard. He killed my parents, he killed Cedric. _Taking a deep calming breath, Harry unclenched his hand, shaking it to lessen the pain. 

After the event's of the Triwizard tournament, Harry had gone through a depressed stage, sitting under the tree in the Dursley's yard. His guilt still haunted him, but after the first week he had rationalized the death of Cedric, pointing out the things he didn't know, and the things he couldn't have prevented.

Yet Harry still carried guilt over the events, but that guilt had slowly transformed into anger at Voldemort, a rage that pushed Harry into deep contemplation. He took refuge under the tree that housed his guilt, as it now housed his rage.

Under the tree he replayed the events of years past, berating himself on his mistakes, and criticizing his triumphs. Harry no longer wished to be normal, he no longer wished to fit in with the biased and bigots of the Wizarding World.

He wanted a Voldemorts death, and would do nearly anything to gain enough power to do so. Shaking himself from his thoughts, Harry continued walking, ignoring the fact that he stood in the same spot for over five minutes.

Reaching the library, Harry walked in, his watcher following closely behind him. Browsing the sections aimlessly, Harry saw a book that caught his eye. Grabbing it from the book case, Harry looked up at the section he was in. _Chinese History_ read the sign. Looking back to the book, he traced the name of old paperback...**_Sun Tzu's Art of War_**.

_Perhaps it was not such a bad idea to come to the library after all... _

**Initial Estimations**

_**Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death., the Tao to survival or extinction. It must be throughly pondered and analyzed...**_

_**Therefore, structure it according to the following five factors, evaluate it comparatively through estimations, and seek out its true nature. The first is termed the Tao, the second Heaven, the third Earth, the fourth Generals, the fifth the laws for military organization and discipline. **_

_**The Tao causes the people to be fully in accord with the ruler. Thus they will die with him; they will live with him and not fear danger. **_

_In my initial estimations...this book is strange. How can this Tao make the people follow the leader? Is it some strange magic...or just loyalty? _

To the fourteen year old boy, almost fifteen, the strange proverbs and words confused the young man greatly. How could one structure war according to some inexplainable thing called Tao? How did Heaven play into War at all?

All he received from his initial plunge into the ideas of the book was questions and confusion, and no answers. After all, many military leaders spent their whole lives studying the ancient manual, and still did not understand its tenants (not that Harry knew that). Still confused, Harry continued to read.

_**Heaven encompasses Yin and Yang, cold and heat, and the constraints of the seasons. **_

_I understand that. A general must keep in mind the weather when it comes to battle. That makes more sense than whatever the hell Tao is..._

_**Earth encompasses far or near, difficult or easy, expansive or confined, fatal or tenable terrain. **_

_That makes sense too. When it comes to battle, I should always choose the terrain best suited to give me an advantage...Like how I choose the air as my terrain against the Horntail during the First task! It gave me the advantage I needed to get the egg..._

Slowly, the cogs began to turn. The wheel that was Harry Potter's mind was beginning ever so slowly spin, awakened from its self-induced slumber during the days when good grades earned him a beating from his uncle. More and more Harry began to see how these initial principles applied to his daily life, mostly in regards to Quidditch (which the closest thing to battle he had).

_When it was raining so hard that I couldn't see in third year, I should have applied the principles of this...'Heaven', and waited for a more advantageous weather to get the snitch..._

_**The General encompasses wisdom, credibility, benevolence, courage, and strictness. **_

_**The laws for military organization and discipline encompass organization and regulations, the Tao of command, and the management of logistics. **_

Harry pondered what he had read for almost an hour. Re-reading those initial passages over and over again, looking for the connection in the war against Voldemort that he could use. Seeking understanding of the wisdom hidden within ancient, confusing Chinese proverbs. Finally, after two hours of comparing his experiences to the books words, Harry finally understood what he had to do. He understood Tao, Heaven, Earth, General, and the laws.

_Tao is leadership, and the people's loyalty or fear. The reason why Dumbledore and Voldemort and Fudge have power is because they utilize the Tao that they have. Dumbledore through his position as headmaster of the school, Voldemort through promises of power and fear, and Fudge through money and political support. _

_In order to be strong enough to fight Voldemort on my own, I need to establish my own Tao. I need to gain loyalty, to find followers through money, influence, or fear. I need to become a true leader. _

_Heaven is the events around me, whether weather or even political events. I have been blind to the Wizarding world so long that I don't truly know how it works, which gives everyone else an advantage over me, just like I gained advantage over that Horntail. In order to fight Voldemort, I need to watch everything around me. I need to be prepared. _

_Earth is the literal terrain. Or the metaphysical one, depending. I need to learn to utilize Earth by picking the most beneficial battle grounds for me to fight Voldemort. The grave yard at his mansion was not a good place for me to fight, although I did not have a choice, which was the problem._

_As a General, I must become smart enough to understand the five principles, and to be able to lead my friends and allies into battle with wisdom. I need to be a true leader, and not just a foolish child rushing ahead without considering the battlefield. I need to begin looking ahead, and all around instead of going blind. _

_Finally, I must unite all these principles into one cohesive way of management of an army or political machine or whatever. Maybe even a quidditch team. _

It was a throughly exhausted Harry Potter that left the darkening library to return to Privet drive, a copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War tucked under his arm. It would be a new day tomorrow for him, the lessons the book imparted swirling around in his head.

In his mind's eye, a plan began to develop. To use this summer to mold himself into a warrior, a sword to cut down Voldemort in revenge. A smile was on Harry's face as he fell asleep that night, the Art of War clutched to his chest. Visions of battle, and of Voldemort crushed beneath his feet let him drift off into sleep without thoughts of Cedric even once entering his head.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The ancient Magical stronghold of Hogwarts trembled as a battle occurred upon the grassy hills beside the old lake. Streams of fire seared the air, noble dragons fighting for supremacy in the sky above. Against the backdrop of the white clouds and blue skies shouts and screams could be heard upon the grassy knoll.

Bursts of green light and various multi-colored beams sizzled into the air amidst the roars of the dragons, and the rumble of giants feet. Two great armies fought each other in the fields of Hogwarts, the armies of good, and evil. Death Eaters and evil creatures backed by dragons arrayed against the ministry's forces, all of the teachers and students of Hogwarts, and the centaurs and good creatures.

In the thick of the fighting, Harry Potter swung a long sword in shining white armor. No Death Eater or creature could get close to him as he slung Reductors left and right while swinging his mighty sword. The sun light made his armor gleam brightly while he cut a bloody swath towards a towering Voldemort, trembling in fear of Harry's lone charge.

Suddenly, the battle stopped. Everything became frozen. A darkness slowly enveloped the formerly sunny field, and as the darkness reached each creature and person, they disappeared. The only one not frozen was Harry, and he looked on with confusion as the scenery changed. In a few moments, Harry stood alone in an inky blackness in white gleaming armor. He could see nothing.

"That was quite a dream you envisioned for yourself, Harry."

Voldemort's quiet hiss echoed all around Harry, making him jump in fear. Harry held his sword in front of him, as if defending himself against Voldemort. All he saw was darkness. A quiet laugh accompanied his actions.

_What the hell...? How did he get inside my dream? Inside my head?_

"Now now, Mister Potter. A good magician never reveals his secrets. But certainly you must be tired from your exertion."

A white chair appeared before Harry after Voldemort finished speaking. Cautiously, Harry took a seat. He tired to peer into the ebony darkness, but could little more than a couple feet in front of him. His sword was still clutched in his hand as his protection, against the previously unknown dangers of his own mind.

"You seem eager to play hero, Harry, but you do not even know for what you are fighting for. This war is much more complex than you think..."

A chessboard appeared before Harry's chair, Voldemort's voice seeming to whisper into Harry's ear. Harry could barely make our the bright white pieces, and the black pieces were completely hidden in the darkness. Unbidden, a single white pawn bearing Harry's face moved forward to disappear into the darkness.

"You are merely a pawn to the light, my dear Harry. You are not the hero you imagine your self to be. I could offer you so much more than what you dream. Locked away in your hidden cage, Dumbledore keeps you ignorant of the world. Of what I could offer you, and what you could be."

_I will not be your pawn!_

"You so believe your convictions, young Harry, but such convictions will not survive this war. And it has already begun, you just haven't fully realized it yet." Voldemort answered Harry's unspoken refusal as if it had been spoken aloud.

_He just read my mind!_

"As long as I am here, you are an open book to me. Remember that Harry, as this war begins..."

As Voldemort's voice disappeared, a single black pawn became visible to Harry. And he watched it with introspective eyes, internalizing what he had learned.

_I am no longer safe within my own mind. Voldemort seems to be able to enter my dreams now, just as I was able to see what he did last summer. If no secrets are safe against him, then I cannot not even begin to fight him without first securing my own mind against him. The problem is, I don't even know how to begin. _

_Again, it seems to come back to the fact that I just don't know enough about this crazy world I've been thrust into. I no longer have any time to learn and train for this war. I will need to learn while preparing if the war is really as close as it seems. All I have is a fool's hope, that this war will wait until I am prepared to fight it. But the world is rarely so kind, and half as predictable..._

Harry woke to a sharp knock on his door, and the sun-light streaming into the sparse room. The Art of War was still clutched to his chest. Blinking the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes, Harry tried to come to terms with what he had learned from last night's vivid dream and exchange of words with his worst enemy. If what Voldemort said was true, he would have to begin gathering allies...

"Boy! Get up and cook breakfast!"

...and getting out of this oppressive house. He would be constricted quite a bit if he stayed in this house any longer. Thankfully, he had a plan to get out of the house. If all his 'relatives' could talk about was how they clothed him and fed him, then he would have the "freaks" reimburse' them in return for transport, although in actuality it would just be Harry using his parents inheritance to pay his family off.

Harry thought through this plan as he cooked, structuring what he was going to say as he fried the bacon. Of course, he indulged himself a little as he imagined his whale of a cousin frying as well, but Harry was far from a perfect schemer.

After eating his meager helping of burnt toast, Harry approached his uncle as he was heading towards the door to the parked car in the drive way. Harry schooled his features to a paragon of meekness, keeping his eyes downcast as he approached his uncle, the old paperback copy of the Art of War peeking out of his pocket.

"Uncle Vernon...?" Harry cautiously began, skirting his eyes to look at his Uncle's seemingly perpetual purple face, the double chins adding nothing to its attractiveness. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What do you want, boy? Can't you see I'm in a hurry!" Vernon said angrily.

"Uncle Vernon, I need to go to London for...business, and the headmaster of my school said he would...uh, reimburse you for your kindness if you take me to London everyday on your way to work for this...business."

"What sort of reimbursement is this headmaster talking, boy? Hopefully not a fruitcake..." Vernon said, before muttering under his breath about horrible fruit cakes and stupid secretaries. Ignoring his Uncle's mutterings, Harry continued the implementation of his ploy.

"He said that since I'm so poor," which was blatantly untrue, as the huge pile of gold can attest, "that he'll begin sending a large weekly striped to pay for all of your expenses, in reparation for your great kindness...sir," finished Harry meekly, hoping that the promise of weekly money paying for everything they bought would entice Uncle Vernon to help Harry in some unexplained freakish business.

"Really? All of our expenses? Well then, how can I refuse such kindness?" said Vernon, his eyes glittering with greed. "I suppose I could let drop you off in London on the way to the main office, as long as your headmaster is telling the truth, and you make no noise whatsoever. Well boy, your wasting valuable driving time just standing there! Get in the car now! And make sure the neighbors don't see!"

Nodding quickly, Harry darted out the door, making sure his uncle couldn't see the smile almost splitting his face. A rush of excitement coursed through his veins. He had lied. He had lied and manipulated his Uncle through promise of money, and white lies about how he would get it. It was a strange feeling of power. And Harry enjoyed it thoroughly.

As Vernon started the car, and began driving to the highway, screaming curses at various motorists that earned his ire and those that didn't. Ignoring his uncle Harry turned to his book hoping to glean more useful knowledge from the ancient book, picking up where he left off.

_**Thus when making a comparative evaluation through estimations seeking out its true nature, ask: **_

_**Which ruler has the Tao?**_

_**Which general has greater ability?**_

_**Who has gained the advantages of Heaven and Earth?**_

_**Whose laws and orders are more thoroughly implemented?**_

_**Whose forces are stronger?**_

_**Whose officers and troops are better trained?**_

_**Whose rewards and punishments are clearer?**_

_**From these I will know victory and defeat!**_

_So...what I should use in my efforts to gather information today is which of the three forces, the Death Eaters, Dumbledore's crowd, and the Ministry, which of these has the greatest amount of all of these various components which contribute to victory. _

_Does Dumbledore have the greatest Tao? But is the Ministry's forces stronger? Are Voldemort's Death Eaters better trained? Which leader is better as a general? Who has the advantage? Or are all of these groups deficient in some area or another? Maybe Voldemort's punishments are too harsh. Maybe the Ministry's forces are incompetent, but numerous. Maybe Dumbledore is too trusting a person to be a good general. _

_After all, Dumbledore was tricked by Voldemorts letter in my first year, even when he should have been looking out for suspicious activities after the break in a Gringotts. He should have been expecting a move on the stone, but instead he left incompetent defenses to protect it. _

_Although perhaps...perhaps he may have been attempting to prepare me for this conflict by setting up trials for me...which is extremely foolish, since Dumbledore could have easily taken care of Voldemort while he was weak if he pleased, as Dumbledore is one of the greatest wizards of all time, or so I'm told. _

Pushing aside his baseless thoughts of Dumbledore, Harry tried to continue to read, filing away his conspiracy theory thoughts into the back of his mind.

_**After estimating the advantages in accord with what you have heard, put it into effect with strategic power supplemented by field tactics that respond to external factors. As for strategic power, it is controlling the tactical imbalance in accord with the gains to be realized. **_

_Is this saying that I should use the information gained from asking and answering those questions to supplement the strategic power of controlling the situation through misinformation, much like how I controlled Uncle Vernon earlier through lies and money? And then I should transfer this control of power to the field of battle using flexible, or whatever 'respond to external factors' means, tactics to defeat my enemy? _

Letting that thought stick in his mind, Harry read to find his answer, although his mind pretty much thought that he had interpreted it well enough for his purposes in the war against Voldemort.

_**Warfare is the Tao of deception. Thus although you are capable, display incapability to them. When committed to employing your forces, feign inactivity. When your objective is nearby, make it appear as if distant; when far away, create the illusion of being nearby. **_

_Then I was correct in thinking of deception as being the key to strategic power. If I am to follow and learn this Art of War, I will need to regard deception as my dearest friend, and my most powerful ally. As well as my enemy. _

_Just as I displayed weakness to Uncle Vernon, even though I am quite strong, I must display weakness and timidity to Voldemort. But first I must learn to make sure he cannot see my deceptions. First I must gain information, and only then can I begin to practice this art of deception, this art of War. I will need to be cautious..._

"Boy, snap out of it!" snapped Uncle Vernon. "Get out of the car, I'm dropping you off here. I don't want to be seen dropping you off in front of respectable people like my co workers. And boy, I expect you to be here at exactly 6 o'clock sharp when I get out of work. Or I'm leaving you in London..."

Nodding quickly, Harry slipped the book back into his pocket before nimbly stepping onto the sidewalk. Closing the door quickly, Harry watched as his Uncle burned rubber in an effort to get as quickly as he could away from the place he just dropped off Harry.

With a bemused sigh, Harry began navigating the streets of London towards the Leaky Cauldron, the Art of War serving as his companion tucked in his pocket. Slipping his hand into his other pocket, Harry gripped the familiar wood of his wand, keeping an eye out for any mischief as he traversed the streets of London.


End file.
